Single disc dispenser



June 1, 1965 1'. J. CARSKI 3,186,592

SINGLE DISC DISPENSER Filed July 15, 1963 United States Patent 3,186,592 SINGLE DlSC DISPENSER Theodore J. Carski, Baltimore, Md, assignor, by mesne assignments, to B-D Laboratories, Inn, East Rutherford, N.J., a corporation of Delaware Filed July 15, 1963, Ser. No. 294,963 4 Claims. (Cl. 221-276) This invention relates to a dispenser for an accommodated cartridge for the rapid and convenient application of discs onto the surface of an inoculated or Petri plate in performing microbial sensitivity or screening tests.

In this art, it has been desirable or necessary on occasion, to place single discs in an extremely tedious manner manually either by hand or with forceps. These discs would either be isolated or arranged according to no preset manner. On the other hand, such individual discs would be placed at a predetermined location in accordance with a prearranged or selected pattern.

It is, therefore, an object of this invention to eliminate the tedious manual placement of single discs as heretofore performed in the art by providing a dispenser for single discs capable of being manipulated in a rapid and convenient fashion.

Another object is to provide a single disc dispenser capable of being used separately or as a companion piece to a dispensing apparatus for dispensing a series of discs in a uniform pattern; for example, this dispenser may be used to place a disc in the center of a symmetrical pattern on a plate utilized in a special study or when a new antimicrobial agent is being added to an established pattern.

A further object is to provide a readily detachable dispenser of sensitivity discs from cartridges containing these discs which, when expended, can readily be replaced with a fresh filled cartridge.

A dispenser incorporating the teachings of this invention is comprised essentially of two parts, the first being a holder for cart-ridge containing the sensitivity discs and the second being a shiftable actuator. This actuator is secured at one end to the holder with the other end normally biased away therefrom which, in the disclosed embodiment, is caused by the inherent flexibility of the actuator material. The free end of the actuator is guided in a slot formed in the holder. When the dispenser is properly positioned relative to the disc containing cartridge, the actuator need only be shifted manually inwardly to eject a disc on an inoculated plate, for example.

Other objects and advantages will become apparent from the following detailed description which is to be taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings illustrating a somewhat preferred embodiment of the invention and in which:

FIG. 1 is a reduced perspective view of the dispenser associated with a disc containing cartridge and showing the ejection of a single disc onto the selected surface;

FIG. 2 is an elevation view of the dispenser mounted on the disc containing cartridge;

FIG. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view taken along the line 3-3 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a cross sectional view taken along the line 44 of FIG. 3; and

FIG, 5 is a cross sectional view taken along the line 5-5 of FIG. 3.

In the drawings, numeral is applied to denote the disc containing cartridge and numeral 12 to the dispenser of this invention. This cartridge may be of the type disclosed in pending application Serial No. 36,052, filed June 14, 1960, now Patent No. 3,119,521, granted January 28, 1964. This disc containing cartridge 10 would, accordingly, accommodate a number of sensitivity discs ice =14 maintained in a stacked relationship within the cartridge. The base of the cartridge will be provided with a centrally located integral bar 16 on which the lowermost disc rests and which forms with the bottom edge 18 of the cartridge a space 20 through which the lowermost disc 14 is adapted to be pushed through by the actuating surfaces of the dispenser 12 as will be explored in greater detail shortly. The cartridge is also provided with a pair of opposed guiding and indexing projections 22 which not only cooperate with the surfaces of the dispensing apparatus discussed in the above but also with the dispenser 1 2 in properly mounting and orienting the dispenser on the cartridge for rapid and eificient disc dispensing.

Referring now to the dispenser 12, a holder 24 is included for cooperatively engaging with the cartridge 10 and an actuator 26 coupled therewith for engaging with the lowestmost disc 14 in the cartridge and dispensing it therefrom. The holder 24 is an elongated arcuately shaped plate having a pair of guiding arms 28 and 30. These arms are adapted to receive the discharge end of the cartridge 10 and assume a slip fit therewith. In this connection, the discharge end 18 of the cartridge is adapted to be slid relative to the arms 28 and 30. These arms will eventually engage the projections 22. In this connection, recessed portions 32 formed in the plate 24 serve to accommodate the associated surfaces of the projections 22. Under these circumstances, the dispenser '12 will be properly guided and indexed with respect to the cartridge 10. A recessed portion 34 is provided between the arms 28 and 3t and is adapted to be aligned with the space 20 located at the discharge end of the cartridge 10. The recessed portion 34 together with the neighboring edges of the arms 28 and 3t) serve to guide and align the dispensing head of the actuator 26.

The other end of the plate 24 is provided with a second pair of laterally extending arms 36 and 38 each provided with punched detents 40 and 42, respectively. These detents are adapted to grip or clamp the associated surfaces of the cartridge 10 by forcibly snapping the arms 36 and 40 around the cartridge wall whereby they will bow outwardly due to the inherent flexibility of the sheet material from which the plate 24 is fabricated. Under these circumstances, the detents 40 and 42 will ride over the surfaces of the cartridge into gripping engagement with the cartridge as shown in FIG. 5.

The actuator 26 is conveniently coupled with the plate 24 to advantageously dispense individual cartridges 14 from within the cartridge '10. Thus, the actuator 26 assumes the form of an elongated plate suitably connectedto the holder 24 at end 44 as by brazing, welding, soldering or similar securing means. The actuator plate is also provided with a finger engaging portion 46 which facili tates the manipulation of the actuator in dispensing the discs. The free end of the actuator plate is provided with a dispensing head 48 which, in the illustrated embodiment, is a lateral integral extension of the plate. In its rest or normal position, the terminal end 50 of the actuator head, which serves to directly engage the individual discs, assumes the solid line position shown in FIG. 3 spaced from the discs supported by cross bar 16. The inherent flexibility of the actuator plate 26 enables the plate to flex towards the holder plate 24 upon the application of finger pressure to the section 46. Under these circumstances, the actuator head 43 will shift or move inwardly through the cut out section 34 such that the end 50 shifts into engagement with the disc 14 located in a position for dispensing. The end 50 will project through the slot or cut out portion 34 thereby causing the ejection of the engaged disc. The finger pressure on the section 34 is relieved or removed such that the actuator 26 will return to its normal position at which the stop flanges 52 and 54 engage with the arms 28 and 3%), respectively, of the holding plate 24.

Thus, it should be evident to those skilled in the art that the single disc dispenser provided by this invention speeds and simplifies testing. In order to load a dispenser 12 with a disc containing cartridge 1!),one need only snap a', cartridge in position by placing the bottom end 18 between the arms 28 and 39. The top or other end of the dispenser 12 is then-simply pressed into position where it is retained by a friction fit through the gripping action afforded by the detents 4t and 42.

In operating or manipulating the loaded dispenser, the actuator 26 is depressed causing one sensitivity disc to be ejected onto the inoculated'plate in a manner depicted by FIG. 1. Accordingly, a considerable time saving is' experien'ced as a result or" the elimination of the handling of individual discs. The dispenser is obviously simple to operate and convenient to use particularly with standard .Petri dishes.

In supplying the dispenser 12 commercially, it is suggested that it be packed in a glass tube, for example, containing a small sack of desiccant which protects against moisture.

The tube serves as a convenient storage c-ontainer for the loaded dispenser after a cartridge has been inserted. The loaded dispenser should be stored in its tube in a refrigerator when not in use when handling,

most types of sensitivity discs.

Thus, the aforenotedobjects and advantages are most efiectively attained. Although several preferred embodiments of this invention have been disclosed in detail herein, it should be understood that this invention is in.

no sense limited thereby; and its scope is to be determined by that of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A single disc dispenser comprising a disc-containing cartridge having an open end from which the contained ridge, said holding means comprising an elongated and 4 p arcuate plate having cartridgeengaging arm means receiving and engaging a cartridge and having projecting surfaces for releasably retaining the cartridge in engagement with the holding means, an actuating means coupled with the holding means for ejecting individual discs from the cartridge, said actuating means including an elongated arm having one end coupled with said holding means and the other'end biased away therefrom, a disc dispensing head projecting laterally from'the arm for engaging'the disc resting directly on the'disc support and dispensing such disc therefrom upon overcoming the bias. of the arm by application of finger pressure thereto, and surfaces of the cart-ridge and said cartridge engaging means providing a projection and mating detent cooperating to provide an indexing means for relatively locating said actuating means and the discs in the cartridge ina predetermined manner for dispensing. v

2. The invention in accordance with claim IWherein the projecting surfaces of the cartridge engaging means includes spring biased detents-for releasably engaging the Walls of the cartridge and arms for slidea-bly engaging with the walls of the cartridge.

3.. The invention in accordance with claim 1 wherein the holding means includes guide means forguiding said dispensing head during the dispensing operation.

4. The invention in accordance with claim 1 wherein the indexingmeans comprisesiindexing projections extending lateral-1y from the cartridge and accommodating limiting'reces ses. on the cartridge engaging means of the holding means of the cartridge.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS RAPHAEL M. LUPO, Primary Examiner.

LOUIS I. DEMBO, Examiner. 

1. A SINGLE DISC DISPENSER COMPRISING A DISC-CONTAINING CARTRIDGE HAVING AN OPEN END FROM WHICH THE CONTAINED DISCS ARE ADAPTED TO BE DISPENSED, A DISC SUPPORT AT THE OPEN END OF THE CARTRIDGE OF SUPPORTING THE DISCS AND BEING SPACED FROM THE OPEN END TO PERMIT REMOVAL THROUGH THIS SPACE OF THE INDIVIDUAL DISCS ONE AT A TIME, A HOLDING MEANS FOR DETACHABLY HOLDING THE DISC-CONTAINING CARTRIDGE, SAID HOLDING MEANS COMPRISING AN ELONGATED AND ARCUATE PLATE HAVING CARTRIDGE ENGAGING ARM MEANS RECEIVING AND ENGAGING A CARTRIDGE AND HAVING PROJECTING SURFACES FOR RELEASABLY RETAINING THE CARTRIDGE IN ENGAGEMENT WITH THE HOLDING MEANS, AN ACTUATING MEANS COUPLED WITH THE HOLDING MEANS FOR EJECTING INDIVIDUAL DISCS FROM THE CARTRIDGE, SAID ACTUATING MEANS INCLUDING AN ELONGATED ARM HAVING ONE END COUPLED WITH SAID HOLDING MEANS AND THE OTHER END BIASED AWAY THEREFROM, A DISC DISPENSING HEAD PROJECTING LATERALLY FROM THE ARM FOR ENGAGING THE DISC RESTING DIRECTLY ON THE DISC SUPPORT AND DISPENSING SUCH DISC THEREFROM UPON OVERCOMING THE BIAS OF THE ARM BY APPLICATION OF FINGER PRESSURE THERETO, AND SURFACES OF THE CARTRIDGE AND SAID CARTRIDGE ENGAGING MEANS PROVIDING A PROJECTION AND MATING ELEMENT COOPERATING TO PROVIDE AN INDEXING MEANS FOR RELATIVELY LOCATING SAID ACTUATING MEANS AND THE DISCS IN THE CARTRIDGE IN A PREDETERMINED MANNER FOR DISPENSING. 